This application claims the priority of German Patent Document 100 24 164.6, filed in Germany, May 17, 2001, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
The invention relates to a system for supporting the torque of an internal-combustion engine in a vehicle by way of at least one torque support which is arranged transversely in the vehicle between the internal-combustion engine and a vehicle body support member and is connected with the vehicle body structure.
From German Patent Document DE 42 09 613, an assembly bearing is known which has a torque support consisting of a rigid support. This support is arranged between an assembly and a vehicle frame, elastic bearings being provided in the support.
It is an object of the invention to provide a torque support system for an internal-combustion engine by means of a torque support which, on the one hand, permits idling movements of the assembly and does not transmit them and, on the other hand, ensures a torque support during the operation and furthermore ensures a simple mounting.
According to preferred embodiments of the invention, this object is achieved by providing a system for supporting the torque of an internal-combustion engine in a vehicle by way of at least one torque support which is arranged transversely in the vehicle between the internal-combustion engine and a vehicle body support member and is connected with the vehicle body structure wherein the torque support is constructed of at least two parts and comprises a support arm connected with one of a cylinder head cover and a camshaft housing by a pivoting bearing, and an adjoining strut held by way of a stationary elastic bearing, which strut is fastened on an end side on a support member of body structure of the vehicle.
The advantages achieved by means of the invention are essentially that, in the case of occurring torque during the operation, the internal-combustion engine is supported by way of the torque support on the side member of the vehicle body. According to the invention, torque supports pointing to the side members can also be arranged on each side of the assembly.
For this purpose, the torque support is constructed of at least two parts and includes a support arm connected with a cylinder head cover and a camshaft housing by means of a relatively stiff pivoting bearing as well as of an adjoining strut held by means of a stationary elastic bearing, which strut is fastened on the end side on a support member of the body structure.
So that a buckling of the torque support during the operation is avoided, in certain preferred embodiments the support arm is fastened by means of one end by way of a console, in which the pivoting bearing is held on the cylinder head cover or on the camshaft housing, and is supported by means of its other end, which faces away, in the elastic bearing which is stationarily disposed by way of a receiving block on the spring strut dome. By means of this construction and support of the torque support according to the invention, the force generated by the assembly is linearly introduced into the side member of the vehicle body, vibrations during the idling of the internal-combustion engine being kept away from the vehicle body.
For the support on the spring strut dome, the strut is rigidly connected with the receiving block and, by means of an end pointing to the support arm, is supported in the elastic bearing which is held in the receiving block.
So that the expenditures for fastening the receiving block on the vehicle body structure can be minimized, an already existing screwing point of a bearing block is used in which the spring strut is disposed.
The strut is connected with the support arm by way of an elastic bearing which is held in the receiving block, the elastic bearing being arranged in an eye of the support arm, and the support arm being situated between the receiving block and the strut. For the purpose of fastening, the receiving block reaches over the strut by means of two arms, and for the fastening with the spring strut dome, the latter has a bent-out section which is fixed at the spring strut dome by means of at least one screw.
As a result, the strut has a rigid construction from the linkage to the side member to the receiving block, and the adjoining support arm is swivellable by way of the elastic bearing as well as by way of the pivoting bearing which is supported in a console supporting block which is connected with the camshaft housing and which, for this purpose, is constructed with a foot which can be fastened on the camshaft housing.
The connecting elastic bearing between the strut and the support arm acts as a so-called damping bearing and has a very progressively coordinated characteristic curve and comprises two kidney-shaped recesses which are aligned in the direction of the pressure load of the torque support behind one another in a horizontal plane.
In contrast, the pivoting bearing of the support should permit only rotational movements during the springing of the assembly. It can consist either of a rubber bearing with a high radial stiffness and a relatively low resistance to torsion or it can be constructed as a ball bearing.
So that the force generated by the assembly can be linearly introduced into the vehicle body side member, the linking of the support arm to this side member takes place by means of a sheet metal angle which can be connected with the side member of the vehicle body structure and, for this purpose, has legs which reach over the side member from above and below, and the strut ends approximately in the center of the member.
The sheet metal angle is a folded sheet metal part which is easy to produce and which introduces the force, if possible, in the center into the side member by way of the walls situated in the direction of the force.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.